Biodegradable gelatin/silver nanoparticle composite cryogel with excellent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity and hemostasis for Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected burn wound healing

Burn wounds are susceptible to bacterial infections and are usually accompanied by a large amount of exudate, making the treatment of burn wounds a challenge in the clinic. Here, we developed a biodegradable cryogel with high water absorption and good antibacterial and antibiofilm activity based on gelatin (GT) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to promote burn wound healing. The porous GT/Ag cryogel had a swelling ratio of up to 4000%, effectively absorbing wound exudate and allowing for gas exchange. Moreover, the GT/Ag cryogel had an excellent killing effect on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), which burn wounds are susceptible to, and can effectively remove mature biofilms. In the rat liver defect noncompressible hemorrhage model, GT/Ag cryogels with shape memory performance showed better hemostatic ability than commercial gelatin sponges. Most importantly, the GT/Ag cryogel was more effective than the Tegaderm (TM) dressing and GT cryogel in promoting wound contraction, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis and reducing inflammation in a PA-infected burn wound model. In addition, GT/Ag cryogels degraded in the body within 4 weeks, which alleviated the pain of peeling the dressing from the wound. Therefore, GT/Ag cryogels with outstanding antibacterial properties and effective absorption of wound exudates are excellent candidates for wound dressings to promote burn wound repair. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

GT/Ag cryogels with outstanding antibacterial properties and effective absorption of wound exudates are excellent candidates for promoting burn wound repair.